The Washington critic., 1887-12-19

"Wcll, boys" he continued, sit was
Christmas morning--Pll never forget it,
The wind was howling like mad, and
the snow was drfted nearly over the
cabin. ] hesitatcd about starting out,
and my wife begged me to stay at home;
but had not lost u day yet, and dis
liked being scared out by the weather.
So, promising to return early for our
Christmas turkey--a wild one had shot
in the woods-I shouldered my outfit
and heavy rifle and, with CHEEKY
adieu, scampered of through the blind
ing snow.
after a sharp struggle through the
drifts ! reached my clearing, which was
walking briskly, / managed TO keep
comfortably warm. was much inter
estcd in my work; besides, my mind was
filed with bright dreams of the future,
and, before | realized 1t, / saw from
dull red spot in the west that II was
nearly sunset and that night was already
settling.
."IIastily gathering my implements to.
gether ran to the tree where / had
leaned my rifle, when, to my horror,
discovered that a huge limb from tree
that had fclled had bounded on strik-
ing the ground, and, falling upon my
trusty weapon, had crushed it almost
beyond recognition and rendered it ut
terly useless.
81 paused for n moment, bewildcred
ut this sudden misfortune, but the rap
idly gathering darkness aroused me, and
leaving the fragments of my gun be-
hind, hastened toward home. AS |
neared the edge of my little clearing the
setting sun shone for moment through
| rift in the clouds, and | then noticed
what had passed many times before
without a thought; that is, my lumber
pike-a smooth staff of tough oak about
three iNhes thick and some fourteen
feet loiAg mounted on one end with an
iron ferrule and powerful steel head,
like q spear, used by. lumbermen III
handling logs, but which | had found
useless to me, and had leaned against Il
tree many months ago and had quite
forgotten.
"Whnt possessed me do not know;
but almost unconsciously moved ont of
my path toward it, and, cumbersome
and unwieldly as it was, shouldcred it
and FASTENED on.
"Although had many times before" I"
he continued, after another pause,
"traverscd the same path in the dusk
without the slightest fear-although un-
armed-yct this night was filed with
u strange dread and actually trembled at
every sound.
81 was plowing swiftly along, keep
ing as sharp lookout as the gloom
would permit, and had probably made
half the distance ! had to travel, when
| was suddenly frozen to the earth by u
long piercing wall that rang through the
woods from behind me. / had heard it
before, and instantly recognized it as
the cry of a panther. He had evidently
scented me and was making his way to-
ward me by leaping from limb to limb
and tree to tree overhead.
"For an instant remained rooted to
the spot; then recognizing my perilous
position, for was practically weapon
less, plunged frantically forward, hop.
ing to gain the opening before he could
overtake me. As made my first leap
that awful cry againwent wailing through
the forest, and this time almost opposite
me on my left, and concluded at once
he was trying to get ahead! of me. Madly
/ struggled on, still keeping my path
which the trees / had 'blazed' made
quite plain in the semi-darkness, and
for the next few minutes my enemy was
sient-an awful, ominous silence. But
l hoped against hope that he had missed
the scent, and gazing fearfully above
me on every side kept on.
"Through the trees ahead of me /
could now see the opening and dim light
in mycabin window. An exultant laugh
was Just rising to my lips when the
moon, which had just risen over the
tree tops, suddenly broke through the
clouds, and great God! long, 1.-THE
\ form shot through the air and lit with a
heavy thud ON gigantic limb that
stretched across my path almost directly
above me.
"My laugh of joy changed to moan
of terror. My teeth chartered. ! could
neither move nor cry out, but like one
stricken, stood and gazed helplessly
into those flaming, famishcd. eyes that
cleaned down from the limb some
twenty-five feet above me.
In those few seconds countless
thoughts flashed through my brain
home, wife, my bright dreams of the
future, and the terrible death l was
about to die. Softly the cat-like paws
moved up and down ON the limb, into
which / could see him now and then
bury his long, cruel claws, while he
lashed his long tail to and fro, sending
down showers of fine snow from hi:
lofty perch.
"To move meant instant death, but
my time at best was short, for at this
moment saw the huge creature raise
himself slowly and draw his feet to-
gether for the awful leap. ] threw my
eyes heavenward for a last silent prayer
and as | did SO ! saw the steel tip OF my
pike, which l had uncohsciously helt
upright in my hand, CLINT in the moon
light
Christianity CLEAN of hope swep
through my trembling frame. From
terror.stricken coward became maj
of iron. Gripping the sturdy staff witt
both hands, planted it firmly on tn,
frozen ground, and falling on my knee
aimed its barbed point so AS to cover me
And none too soon, for, glancing up,
saw the panther poise for second il
the air and then launch himself straigh
at me.
Il closed my eyes with fervent Goo
help me, and the next instant the mos
awful scream of agony rang in my ear
that | have ever heard. felt mysel
deluged with hot blood and crushed sud
denly to the earth by terrible weight
which seemed to wrench my frame il
twain. ! gasped in agony, my heaC
swan giddily, and became unconscious
"When next opened my eyes fount
myself in my own cabin, and by wifi,
bending over me. She had becom,
frightened at my long absence, and il
company with an old hunter, who hat
providentially dropped in to spend tn,
evening, started out to find me-, | wa
badly hurt, and it was many months be
fore / got around again--a cripple for lif
with head of hair white enough Tor